Camp Mystic tragedy inspires generosity
Emma Foltz, a Louisiana Tech senior in Speech-Language Pathology, was introduced to Camp Mystic during a Phi Mu meeting her sophomore year. She and a few friends took the leap and signed up to be counselors for part of summer 2024. Foltz quickly fell in love with the nearly 100-year-old, all-girls summer camp on the Guadalupe River, a setting she describes as “the most perfect place of God’s love.” She cherished the opportunity to mentor kids and make connections and didn’t hesitate when making her 2025 plans—an entire summer at Mystic.
Summer was just underway when the camp office received a devastating call. Foltz’s mother, Rebecca Kibodeaux, had died unexpectedly on June 6. For the next 24 hours her camp family enveloped her with love and support. Foltz’s boss, Katie, drove the physically shaken counselor five hours to meet a friend who drove her the rest of the way to her hometown, Alexandria, La. She spent the next weeks with her dad and two sisters mourning. Throughout that time Katie and others from Camp Mystic were supporting her from afar, constantly checking in with promises of prayer and encouraging messages. After about a month at home, Foltz decided she would recover best in the setting that had become her sanctuary.
She returned to camp in late June intending to stay through August. Just a few days later, tragedy struck again. In the wee hours of July 4, the Guadalupe rose 26 feet in 45 minutes, killing at least 135 people. The surging waters destroyed the cabins along the river, resulting in the loss of 25 Mystic campers and two counselors. Foltz, assigned to a cabin on higher ground by Cypress Lake, knew something was wrong when the daily wake-up signal, Reveille, did not sound from the PA system. The next several hours were a whirlwind of protecting the safety of her 8- and 9-year-old campers while also shielding them from tragedy playing out yards away by continuing normal activities like fort-building and a makeshift spa day. In early evening on Independence Day, Texas game wardens loaded Foltz, her co-counselor, and their 14 campers in a vehicle and transported them to the reunification site. Terrifying road conditions turned a 35-minute drive into an arduous three-hour journey.
The whirlwind continued the next day when Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry posted Foltz’s story on social media. The post reached thousands of people and resulted in dozens of media inquiries, all passed over due to Foltz’s hesitation to be viewed as a hero. Even without the extra media attention, Governor Landry’s post reached the heart of one of Louisiana Tech’s most cherished alumni and donors, inspiring him to take action. The donor reached out to President Jim Henderson with an offer to pay for the remainder of Foltz’s school.
“Whenever Dr. Henderson called me about it, I broke down in tears. I don’t remember the conversation we had. I was just in so much shock because it was just like a weight had been lifted off my shoulders to not having to worry about this,” Foltz said. “I obviously called my dad and my nana, and they both just broke down in tears. I just felt so undeserving of it, but it was quite literally like, okay, I can do this.”
“When I first spoke with Emma that Saturday morning, I was taken with her grace and humility,” Henderson said. “When the donor contacted me the next week to tell me how her story had affected him and to offer such a generous anonymous gift, I thought it was the perfect way to recognize her selflessness and heroism.”
In February, Foltz and her co-counselor were invited to the National Prayer Breakfast in Washington, D.C., where they were recognized by President Donald Trump.
“Emma bravely helped lead 14 precious little girls to safety,” President Trump said. “I want to thank you both for being here and your remarkable, incredible courage.”
Both counselors received a standing ovation from the audience.
“It was a privilege to attend the National Prayer Breakfast as a guest of President Trump,” Foltz said. “I had the opportunity to hear world leaders speak about the importance of faith. President Trump mentioned me in his speech, which was such an honor.”
Foltz will graduate with her undergraduate degree in May and remain at Tech for her master’s in Speech-Language Pathology, all funded by an anonymous member of the Tech family.
“I can pursue my dreams, pursue anything that I have ever wanted to do with this amazing act of kindness,” Foltz added. “These are the professors that I want in grad school. These people will teach me how to be the best clinician I can be. These best friends I have made in the program are the ones who will lift me up when I’m having such a hard time.”
Before continuing her educational journey this fall, Foltz has one more summer. She plans to return to the Guadalupe River to her perfect place: Camp Mystic.
